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Vair is afurtincture inheraldry, describing a two-color pattern covering thefield or adivision of the field in a manner considered similar tored squirrelfurs, formerly much used innoble androyal mantles. The original form (now distinguished asvair ancien) consisted of rows of wavy U shapes similar the squirrels' white underbellies on such mantles. The modern form is more abstract, formed of rows of tiled irregularheptagons known as "panes" or "bells". The default modern pattern is themetalargent (white or silver) over thecolourazure (blue), althoughother orders and hues can be specified in ablazon using the field descriptionvairy.
The wordvair, with its variant formsveir andvairé ("vaired"), was brought intoMiddle English fromOld French, fromLatinvarius ("varied, variegated"),[1] and has been alternatively termedvariorum opus ("variegated work").[2]
The squirrel in question is a variety of theEurasian red squirrel,Sciurus vulgaris. In the coldest parts of Northern and Central Europe, especially theBaltic region, the winter coat of this squirrel is blue-grey on the back[dubious –discuss] and white on the belly and was much used for thelining ofnoble androyal mantles. It was sewn together in alternating cup-shaped pieces of back and belly fur, resulting in a pattern of grey-blue and grey-white which, when simplified in heraldic drawing and painting, became blue and white in alternating pieces.[2]
In modern heraldry, vair is usually presented as rows of alternating irregularhexagonal shapes conventionally known as panes or "vair bells". The panes of one tincture form the upper part of the row, pointing downward from wide tops, while those of the opposite tincture are on the bottom, pointing upward from wide bases. Unless otherwise specified, the tinctures areargent (white or silver) andazure (blue), although others can be specified in ablazon. Following the reasoning thatmetals are "more honourable" thancolour, theargent panes are now typically placed in the upper part of each row and theazure panes below.
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In earlier heraldry, vair was represented by means of straight horizontal lines alternating with wavy lines. This is still sometimes found, specified by the namesvair ondé ("wavy vair") orvair ancien ("ancient vair").[i] InGerman, it is known asWolkenfeh, "cloud vair". Continental forms frequently use an extremely globular form for the panes.
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Regarding other hues, usage is varied, with some authorities considering furs to be natural patterns outside theRule of Tincture[3] and others asserting that they must observe it, employing one metal and one colour.[4] When other colours are used, the field is termedvairé ("vaired") orvairy[ii] of the tinctures used. A vair shield with the order of the white and blue panes reversed may be described asvair inverted,vair renversé, or asvairy argent and azure. (This was formerly the usual style of vair inTudor England.) Ermine or one of its variants is sometimes used, with an ermine spot appearing in each pane of that tincture. Fieldsvairé of four colours are also known, usually consisting of two metals and two colours.[4][5] This is known in German asBuntfeh ("checked vair").
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Traditionally vair was produced in three sizes, and each size came to be depicted in armory. A field consisting of only three rows, representing the largest size, was termedgros vair orbeffroi (from the same root as the English wordbelfry); vair of four rows was simplyvair, while if there were six rows, representing the smallest size, it wasmenu-vair (whence the English wordminiver). This distinction is not generally observed in English heraldry and is not strictly observed in Continental heraldry, although in French heraldry it is customary to specify the number of rows if there are more than four.[4][5]
There are also forms of vair in which the arrangement of the rows is changed. The most familiar iscounter-vair (Fr.contre vair), in which succeeding rows are reversed instead of staggered, so that the bases of the panes of each tincture are opposite those of the same tincture in adjoining rows. Less common isvair in pale (Fr.vair en pal orvair appointé, Ger.Pfahlfeh), in which the panes of each tincture are arranged in vertical columns.Vair in bend (Fr.vair en bande) andvair in bend sinister (Fr.vair en barre), in which the panes are arranged in diagonal rows, is found in continental heraldry.Vair in point (Fr.vair en pointe, Ger.Wogenfeh, "wave vair") is formed by reversing alternate rows, as in counter-vair, and then displacing them by half the width of a pane, forming an undulating pattern across adjoining rows. German heraldry also uses a form called alternate vair (Wechselfeh), in which each pane is divided in half along a vertical line, one side being argent and the other azure.[4][5] Any of these may be combined with size or color variations, though the variants which changed several aspects are correspondingly rarer.
Potent[iii] (Ger.Sturzkrückenfeh, "upside-down crutch vair") is a similar pattern consisting of T-shapes. In this form, the familiar "vair bell" is replaced by a T-shaped figure, known as a "potent" due to its resemblance to a crutch. The pattern used with tinctures other than argent and azure is termedpotenté orpotenty of those colours. The appearance of this shape is thought by some authorities to have originated from crude draftsmanship, although others regard it as an old and perfectly acceptable variation. A regularly encountered variation of potent iscounter-potent orpotent-counter-potent (Ger.Gegensturzkrückenfeh), which is produced in the same fashion as counter-vair;potent in point (Ger.Verschobenes Gegensturzkrückenfeh, "displaced counter-potent") is also found, and there is no reason why one could not, in principle, havepotent in bend,potent of four colours, etc.[4][5]
Three other rarer furs are also seen in continental heraldry, of unclear derivation but most likely from variations on vair made to imitate other types of animals. Inplumeté orplumetty, the panes are depicted as feathers. Inpapelonné orpapellony, they are depicted as scales resembling those of a butterfly's wings, whence the name is derived. In German heraldry there is a fur known asKürsch, or "vair bellies", consisting of panes depicted hairy and brown.[4][5] Here the phrase "vair bellies" may be a misnomer, as the belly of the red squirrel is always white, although its summer coat is indeed reddish brown.
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